SIR: I beg to submit herewith a brief report of the part
borne by my brigade in the battle at Fredericksburg on the 13th instant.
Since the arrival of the division in the vicinity of Fredericksburg, on
the 23d ultimo, the brigade has been on the left of the division and the extreme left of
the army, and from that time till within a few days of the battle nothing of interest
occurred, my command being occupied only in constructing in part one or two batteries on
our front and picketing on the canal in front of the house of Dr. Taylor, and thence on
the Rappahannock above, some three-fourths of a mile.
The enemy's camps were visible on the far side of the Rappahannock upon
our arrival, and increased perceptibly for several days afterward. It was not long before
the enemy were seen to be engaged in constructing batteries at various points on the
heights beyond the river, and immediately on its banks. New batteries daily appeared, till
at length, extending from a point a mile above Falmouth, at convenient intervals, they
reached Fredericksburg, and thence even down the river some 3 or 4 miles. On a great part
of this line there were two tiers of bat-teries--one on the first bank of the river and
the other on heights--commanding a level plateau in rear of this bank. Most of the guns of
these various batteries could be made to bear both upon the city of Fredericksburg and on
our batteries that crowned the heights on this side of the Rappahannock. The lines of the
enemy's batteries following the inflections of the river, enabled them to dispose of their
pieces so as to enfilade most of the streets of the town; even those at right angles were
alike exposed.
The two armies continued thus confronting each other on the opposite
banks of the river, each constructing batteries, and the hostile pickets in full view and
in close proximity. The batteries scarcely fired a gun, and the pickets, by mutual and
tacit understanding, refrained entirely from the use of their rifles. This condition of
affairs continued from day to day, till at length each party, perhaps, became impatient
from delay and eager for the fray.
On the morning of the 10th, nothing unusual appeared upon my part of
the line. The enemy's batteries and our own were as inactive as before. The pickets were
neither stronger nor weaker. The day passed off quietly, and at dark there was nothing to
indicate, to the closest observer on my front, that the enemy was preparing for or
meditating an attack. Nothing occurred in the early part of the night to give warning of
the intended attack; but about 4.30 a.m. our signal guns were fired, upon hearing of which
all were aroused and the command placed under arms. Little before the dawn of day,
musketry was heard in the direction of and in Fredericksburg, and after that the fire of
the enemy's batteries began. Repairing to the front to my line of pickets before it was
clear day, I learned that there was none of the enemy's infantry anywhere visible. The
enemy's batteries continued to fire with much spirit, and, as far as I could see, entirely
concentrated upon the town of Fredericksburg. Many women and children, in great fright,
with husbands and servants, were fleeing from their homes at this early hour to escape the
enemy's terrible shells and cannon balls.
Soon after it was clear daylight, I moved my brigade up to the front
and formed it in line of battle, under cover of the forest and near the edge of an open
field fronting the river and the town, my left resting upon the river 150 yards to the
left of Dr. Taylor's house, and then extending to the right across the road on the right
of Dr. Taylor's leading into the town, and thence along the base of the hill, upon which
Lane's battery to the rear was placed, crossed a deep ravine, and then bearing slightly to
the rear of the Whitworth gun of Lane's battery, and then, crossing another ravine,
reached to Huger's battery. The right of my line, four regiments, occupied this line and
the fifth was held in rear of the center of this line. General Wright's brigade was on my
right flank. The battery of Captain [J. W.] Lewis, attached to the brigade, was in
position on a hill opposite to the ford between Falmouth and Fredericksburg. The brigade
remained in this position all day, quiet spectators of the enemy's fiendish and furious
bombardment of Fredericksburg. Many shot and shell were thrown into the woods occupied by
my men, inflicting but a trifling loss, killing 1 and wounding 2 men of the Eleventh
Alabama Regiment.
In the afternoon it was known that the enemy had succeeded in his
efforts to throw pontoon bridges over the river, and that both in the town and below
several bridges were being used by them for crossing over the troops. Late in the evening,
Captain Lewis, seeing a column of the enemy's infantry advancing to cross the upper
pontoon bridge, gave the order to his battery to fire upon them. This was instantly done,
and with such effect as to drive over half of it back under cover of some houses. Later in
the evening the battery again fired upon artillery and cavalry that were in sight, and
soon drove them off and out of view. This battery had orders to waste no ammunition and to
fire only when damage could be inflicted upon the enemy. The brigade slept under arms in
line of battle, strong pickets being thrown to the front. The artillerymen remained with
their guns.
During Friday, the 12th, the brigade remained under arms and in
position. Shot and shell from the enemy's batteries fell at times near them, but without
inflicting any loss. Lewis' battery at various times during the day fired at the enemy's
batteries while crossing the river. About 3 p.m., a column of infantry (one brigade) came
in sight. Shot and shell were thrown upon the head of this column, causing much confusion
in their ranks and forcing them to change their course and take shelter beyond houses.
Later in the day the battery fired upon cavalry crossing the ford. In each case damage was
done the enemy, as his ambulances were seen to leave the field with wounded. Again all
slept under arms (the night of the 12th), with strong pickets in our front.
The early morn of the 13th was dark and much obscured by a dense fog.
At length, the rising sun dissipating the mist, about 8 a.m. musketry was heard on our
right. This fire quickened and artillery was also heard in the same direction. The
rapidity and quantity of the musketry fire indicated that a general action had begun. The
firing at length began to approach nearer us. The right of our left wing had become
engaged, and the firing still continued, extending toward our left, reaching as far as its
center, and here it remained for a long time, approaching no nearer our position. The
firing had now become general. Musketry, artillery, and the bursting of shell are heard,
varying at times in quantity and rapidity, but without any entire cessation, till dark. At
times it would appear to be more intense far to our right, and then again the center and
the left of center would seem to be the point where the enemy were concentrating their
heaviest forces and making the most vigorous efforts to force our line. More artillery
appeared to be used on this day than I had ever known before. Frequently during the
continuance of the battle I counted as many as fifty shots per minute. During this long
and intensely exciting day my brigade remained in line of battle, ready to meet any
advance of the enemy or to hasten to any point of the line that might need support. The
battery of Captain Lewis lost no opportunity of firing upon the enemy's infantry and
cavalry when in easy range. In all, it fired 400 rounds.
The brigade lost to-day 1 killed and 8 wounded; Lewis' battery 1 killed
and 2 wounded. Although the brigade lost but few men by the enemy's artillery, and none by
the musket, it would seem to be almost incredible that the loss should have been so
inconsiderable; for, from a point near a mile above Falmouth, on a commanding height,
there was a six-gun battery of rifle pieces that enfiladed my line. Lower down and nearer,
on the slope of this hill, was a second battery that had the same fire upon them; and yet
nearer and immediately on the banks of the river, and to the right of the two batteries
above referred to, was another; and then again, on a very commanding hill in rear of
Falmouth, near the house of Miss Scott, was a battery of more than twenty pieces that bore
upon us, and these of the heaviest rifle pieces; and down the river were one or two other
batteries that could throw shot and shell far beyond our line. In these batteries there
could not have been less than fifty pieces that bore upon us.
The night of the 13th, we were under arms like the two previous nights,
strong pickets being in our front. During the night our pickets were heard to fire
frequently in the direction of Fredericksburg.
The morning of the 14th was foggy, and when it had been scattered by
the rising sun nothing was seen of the enemy in our front save his distant line of cavalry
vedettes, as usual. The 14th passed off quietly--some few artillery shots during the day,
and at intervals a little firing between the pickets.
The night of the 14th and the day of the 15th passed off with little or
no firing. The night of the 15th was dark, windy, and rainy, and the morning of the 16th
foggy. When the fog disappeared it revealed the fact that the enemy had recrossed the
river, nothing remaining on this side but a few of the wounded, the unburied dead, and a
few of the infantry pickets whom they had failed to relieve. These delivered themselves up
to my command as prisoners.
My command now returned to their camp, having been under arms since the
morning of the 11th.
The lists of casualties having bean previously forwarded, it will
suffice in this report to state that the loss in my command was 15 killed and wounded. Of
this number 3 were killed.